Turkish health experts are pushing for stronger adaptation measures, resilient health infrastructure and targeted support for vulnerable groups as climate risks intensify ahead of COP31.
Türkiye is calling for the urgent establishment of a climate and health support fund to help developing countries strengthen their resilience against the health impacts of climate change ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya.
Emine Didem Evci Kiraz, a faculty member at Adnan Menderes University’s Faculty of Medicine and a member of the Health Ministry’s Scientific Board on Climate Change and Health, said health must be placed at the center of climate adaptation efforts.
Kiraz said the lack of a stronger focus on health in previous climate conferences was a significant shortcoming, emphasizing that adaptation measures are as critical as emissions reductions in protecting human health and preventing premature deaths.
“COP31 gives us a major advantage in terms of putting health at the center,” Kiraz said, describing the goal as building low-carbon, sustainable and equitable health systems that can respond rapidly to climate-related risks.
Türkiye, in coordination with Australia, will host COP31 in November, with “dynamic and resilient health systems” among the 10 priority themes of the COP31 Action Agenda.
Kiraz said Türkiye’s decision to bring health to the forefront could contribute to new methodologies and model practices in climate and health.
“Everything being done in Türkiye in the field of climate and health will essentially be presented there as a model practice,” she said.
She also highlighted the growing risks faced by health infrastructure as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe.
Citing a report by the Lancet Countdown, Kiraz said one in every 12 hospitals worldwide is at risk of closure due to extreme weather events.
She warned that vulnerable hospitals in Türkiye could also face climate-related risks, potentially affecting wider public health.
“We now need a health system focused on households and individuals that is resilient to the impacts of climate change,” Kiraz said, adding that health should be placed at the center of climate action.
Kiraz said protecting public health is also critical for other sectors, including energy, tourism, transportation, industry and education, which could face wider disruptions if health systems fail to adapt.
She identified the establishment of a climate and health support fund as one of the key priorities for COP31, noting that adaptation finance had also been discussed at the Bonn Climate Change Conference.
Kiraz also called for climate adaptation measures to extend beyond hospitals to family health centers, pharmacies, mobile health services, pharmaceutical supply chains, vaccine logistics and dialysis centers.
She stressed that vulnerable groups, including older people, agricultural workers, firefighters and those working in hot environments, also require targeted adaptation policies.
“We need to educate people, particularly those entering old age, about climate change,” Kiraz said, calling for new care models for older people living alone and climate-resilient neighborhoods in areas with aging populations.
She added that early warning systems and climate-adaptive health policies would be crucial to reducing the impact of climate change on future generations.
